Crop Hail Insurance for Midwest Farmers

MPCI is a federally subsidized program that covers yield and revenue losses across an entire unit. Crop hail is private insurance that pays based on the actual percentage of physical damage to each individual field. They work best together — MPCI as the foundation, crop hail as the supplement for direct hail, wind, and fire damage.

You can purchase crop hail insurance anytime before a loss occurs. There is no fixed sales closing date like MPCI. However, once hail damage has been reported in your area, carriers may impose a temporary blackout period for new policies. The best strategy is to buy early in the growing season.

Crop hail premiums vary based on your county, crop type, coverage amount per acre, and the carrier. Rates are typically quoted as dollars per hundred dollars of coverage. Because there is no government subsidy, the full premium is paid by the farmer. We compare rates across multiple carriers to find the most competitive option for your operation.

After you report a loss, an adjuster visits the damaged field and physically inspects a sample of the crop to determine the percentage of damage. Claims are typically settled within days of the inspection — much faster than MPCI, which often requires waiting until after harvest to calculate final losses.

In some cases, yes. If you receive a crop hail payment for damage to a specific crop, it may reduce your MPCI indemnity because both policies are covering the same loss. However, crop hail often pays more quickly and on a per-field basis, so there are situations where it provides a net benefit. We help you structure both policies to maximize your total protection.

Green snap is a coverage endorsement available on many crop hail policies that specifically covers corn stalks that snap below the ear due to high winds during rapid growth stages (typically late June through mid-July in the Midwest). Standard crop hail does not always cover green snap, so it must be added separately. It is especially important for corn growers in wind-prone areas of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois.